Passionate letter written by Elizabeth Taylor to Richard Burton shortly before divorce goes on sale
Aletter written by Elizabeth Taylor to Richard Burton has given a fascinating insight into one of Hollywood – and history’s – most passionate romances.
A passionate love letter written by Elizabeth Taylor to Richard Burton has gone on sale
It is thought to be the only love letter between the couple to have ever become available for public sale.
Dated 15 March, 1974 – the couple’s tenth wedding anniversary – it begins, “My darling (my still) My husband” and is signed, “Your (still) wife”.
In between, Elizabeth writes, “I wish I could tell you of my love for you, of my fear, my delight, my pure animal pleasure of you – (with you) – my jealousy, my pride, my anger at you, at times.
“Most of all my love for you, and whatever love you can dole out to me – I wish I could write about it but I can’t. I can only ‘boil and bubble’ inside and hope you understand how I really feel.
“Anyway, I lust thee, Your (still) wife. P.S. O’Love, let us never take each other for granted again! P.P.S. How about that – 10 years!!”
Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton at their wedding on 15 March, 1964
Richard had numerous affairs during the couple’s marriage, and in 1974, Elizabeth ran out of patience. Days after writing the letter, they separated.
The note, written in pencil, was left behind by Richard in a home the couple rented in California while he was filming the 1974 movie, The Klansman. It is now being sold by Bristol-based dealers Paul Fraser Collectibles for £35,000.
“This is one steamy letter, from one of the steamiest marriages in history,” Paul Fraser, founder of Paul Fraser Collectibles, told the Telegraph.
“But what makes this letter particularly remarkable is its timing.
Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton first met on the set of the 1963 film, Cleopatra
“Taylor wrote it on their 10th wedding anniversary, just three months before she and Burton divorced – the intense mixture of love and anger that Taylor has for her philandering husband is palpable in these lines.
“This is the only love letter between the two to have ever come up for sale. That makes this a very rare opportunity to own memorabilia from Hollywood’s most famous couple.”
Elizabeth and Richard met on the set of the 1963 film Cleopatra, and were married the following year. They divorced in June 1974, only to remarry in October 1975 and divorce a second time in July 1976.
